COMPAMED Spring forum offers a taste of the leading trade fair for medical technology
In the meantime, the COMPAMED Spring forum has become as much a part of the furniture as the COMPAMED in Düsseldorf - the leading international specialist trade fair for suppliers to the medical technology industry which has been held every year in November since 1992.
Celebrating the 60th birthday of a fabulous lifesaver
This May it will be exactly 60 years since the first extracorporeal circulation device to temporarily replace heart/ lung function was successfully used in a clinical setting.
Life is precious. Take CARE.
Protecting patients and staff from unnecessary radiation is of major concern. Today, thanks to advanced technologies and applications, outcomes for diagnosis and intervention can be optimized at the same time as reducing radiation.
Market Trends in Europe Interventional Radiology and Cardiology
The European market for interventional radiology and cardiology is heading towards maturity, especially in Western Europe. Although the economic slowdown and fewer orders had a negative impact on revenues in 2012, it is expected that expanding applications of interventional systems and the popularisation of hybrid solutions will drive market growth over the 2013-2017 period.
Routine clinical use will take another decade
Numerous cardiac muscle cells die following myocardial infarction, due to reduced blood flow in the affected muscle areas. What remains is a scar, which also mechanically affects cardiac pumping. The muscle itself has no, or hardly any, capacity to regenerate itself.
Pacemakers, defibrillators and MRI
Not such a rare situation: A patient is due for an MRI scan to clarify a diagnosis. However, it transpires that this patient is fitted with an implant, say an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which is contraindicated for MRI examinations.
Bladder cancer update
In developed countries, bladder cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in men and the ninth in women, and it greatly challenges patient management and cost containment. However, it is under-represented in public awareness and in cancer research.
The Robert Koch Foundation announces the 2013 laureates
Robert Koch Award 2013 goes to Jeffrey I. Gordon for pioneering studies of the human microbiome; Anthony S. Fauci receives the Robert Koch Gold Medal 2013 for outstanding scientific contributions to HIV research
At CMEF Chinese companies campaign for quality and sustainability
CMEF, the China International Medical Equipment Fair, is a semi-annual tradeshow which presents innovative products from and for China, and a cornucopia of educational congresses, workshops on financing, seminars on regulatory and policymaking issues as well as networking opportunities.
German Cancer Research Center to broaden strategic alliance with Bayer HealthCare
The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Bayer HealthCare (Bayer) will extend their successful strategic research alliance in search of novel cancer therapeutics by focusing their activities also on the field of immunotherapy.
Orion Health and Caradigm expand partnership
Extensible, end-to-end solution will help healthcare communities use data to gain insight and transform care. The partnership will deliver integrated Electronic Health Records (EHR), Intelligence Platform and Applications.
EKF Diagnostics launches new molecular division
EKF Diagnostics, worldwide manufacturer of point-of-care diagnostic tools, organ injury biomarkers and assays, has announced the launch of a new division to focus on molecular and companion diagnostics.
Breast Cancer Risk: Genes and Environment Interacting
Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg have been the first to prove that genetic and environmental risk factors for breast cancer do not act independently of each other.
Scepticism increases among German in vitro diagnostics firms
The 2013 turnover expected by German in vitro diagnostics producers are significantly lower compared to last year, according to a survey of members carried out by the German Diagnostics Industry Association (VDGH) presented in January at the Diagnostica Forum in Berlin.
Ambulatory surgery
Massive and increasing cost pressure urges many hospitals to look for alternatives to expensive in-patient surgery.
IHE-Europe takes on the world in Istanbul
The movement for interoperability among health information devices and systems has spread across Europe reaching Turkey, which will be host to the European IHE Connectathon in Istanbul this April
'Status quo bias' affecting take up rate for bowel cancer screening
The NHS has to overcome people’s ‘status-quo bias’ if it is to increase the number of screenings for bowel cancer.
Advanced versatile ultrasound with flexible style
At ECR 2013 Hitachi Medical Systems Europe will for the first time in Europe be showcasing Noblus, an advanced versatile and compact ultrasound platform.
More sophisticated insights into the human mind
“We finally have tools to non-invasively study the human brain in normal subjects and diseased patients,” says Professor Stefan Sunaert, Head of Translational MRI at the Department of Imaging & Pathology at Leuven University Hospital (Belgium).
Interfere or Interact?
ECR 2013: to survive, radiologists may need to come out of the closet
What is more personal than radiology for a patient?
ESR President Gabriel Krestin introduced a major theme for the society's congress with personalized radiology. "There is nothing more personal in healthcare than a medical image," he told fellow radiologists.
How to maintain appropriateness and safety
The second Management in Radiology session at this year’s ECR focussed on challenges for radiology coming from telemedicine, eHealth, appropriateness, and safety issues.
Fujifilm’s continuing global presence
New business ventures, new systems – and those include 3-D mammography
Exploding data gives new views of disease
It is said a picture is worth 1,000 words. Advanced medical imaging, such as 3D views of the heart or brain have certainly proven the value of this statement by advancing our understanding of the complex biological structures and processes of disease.
PET/MR: The opportunities are almost unlimited
MRI has become the gold standard for many indications in cardiac imaging, apart from imaging the coronary arteries.
Adding a new string to the radiologist’s bow
ECR’s Josef Lissner Honorary Lecture commemorates the co-founder of the European Congress of Radiology who passed away in 2006.
Richard III – modern imaging transforms a historical image
Mark Nicholls discovers how a CT scan at a British hospital played a critical role in identifying the long-lost remains of a 15th Century English king
Ventilator-associated pneumonia
The use of endotracheal tubes with a dorsal lumen to allow drainage of respiratory secretions is currently not common in Germany, although two meta-analyses from the USA and Canada have already demonstrated that this special technique can reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) by 45-50%.
Technology, tracers and trends
The last decade saw PET and now PET/CT numbers expand rapidly in Europe. More recently the picture has been less rosy with public and private sectors delaying new projects and pushing back the replacement of equipment.
Rogue Dutch doctor prompts calls for EU early warning system
There are too many loopholes that allow bad or fraudulent physicians to beat the system.
The nose knows
Cliff, a two-year-old beagle, has recently demonstrated his talent for detecting Clostridium difficile according to doctors at the Vrije University Medical Centre (VUMC) in Amsterdam.
Colorectal cancer screening
Colon cancer remains the second most common cause of cancer-related death in the Western world with 450,000 citizens in Europe newly diagnosed and 230,000 deaths annually (Source: Globalscan 2008).
Secure, dynamic networking during surgery
Operating theatre (OT) equipment is increasingly distributed and interconnected, and the staff depends on IT to access and exchange vital information.
Medical tourists are the best advocates for effective health solutions
Current trends in the medical tourism industry indicate that the needs of international patients are challenging health service providers to come up with advanced solutions for quality healthcare outcomes.
More sleep can reduce delirium in intensive care patients
A hospital is not the best place to get a good night’s sleep, especially in a noisy intensive care unit.
New method to personalize chemotherapy drug selection
In laboratory studies, scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have developed a way to personalize chemotherapy drug selection for cancer patients by using cell lines created from their own tumors.
MITA and COCIR applaud Obama for negotiations on partnership with EU
The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) and the European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry (COCIR) applauded President Barack Obama for initiating discussions around a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.
Aurelius acquires healthcare business of Tieto
The investment company Aurelius Group, based in Munich/Germany, has closed a deal to acquire Tieto’s divisions Healthcare, Systems Integration & Consulting, and Product Engineering Solutions as well as related activities in the Netherlands, Poland, and India.
Genetic variation doubles risk of aortic valve calcification
Study described in The New England Journal of Medicine is the first to show cause-and-effect relationship between a gene variant and calcium deposits on the aortic valve.
Endoscopy systems
Olympus has led the field in advancing endoscopic technology. Just when experts and users thought no further optimisation was possible, Olympus placed another major innovation in the marketplace – and the firm has done it again.
Marriage reduces the risk of heart attack
A large population-based study from Finland has shown that being unmarried increases the risk of fatal and non-fatal heart attack in both men and women whatever their age.
Four-stranded helix identified in human cells
Sixty years ago, a research paper was published which was the first to describe the double-helix DNA structure.
Still a challenge
Can an anaesthetist treat a patient with heart failure (HF) without any specialist knowledge of cardiology? That was the question posed by Dr Florian Weis, from the Clinic of Anaesthesiology at the University Hospital of the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, when lecturing on perioperative management of this patient group.
Bilateral initiation
Renowned French and German cardiovascular researchers gathered in October at the French Embassy in Berlin for a one-day symposium entitled ‘The Frontiers of Cardiovascular Research: From Basic Concepts to Novel Approaches in Therapy and Prevention’
MRSA, C Difficile, staphylococcus
A recent webinar, hosted by the American Association of Clinical Chemistry, featured doctors Duane Newton of the University of Michigan and Susan Novak-Weekly of Kaiser Permanente.
Surgical-site infections increase risk of blood clots
Despite receiving blood thinners and other clot prevention treatment, some patients still develop potentially lethal blood clots in the first month after their operations anyway, especially if they developed a surgical-site infection while in the hospital, according to results of a study at Johns Hopkins.
Medical research in the United Kingdom
The formation of the National Institute for Health Research has made the field vastly stronger and the country is now placed second only to the USA, reports Mark Nicholls
Medical research in France
Since its creation three years ago, the French National Alliance for Health and Life Sciences (Aviesan) has proved its full worth in scientific coordination, Annick Chapoy reports from Paris
Personalised medicine
Individually customised drug therapies have been used for the last two years, particularly for cancer patients
Measles and whooping cough cases are on the rise
When country doctor Edward Jenner inoculated 8-year-old James Phipps with pus from a cowpox lesion on a milkmaid’s hand, little did he know that he had started a long lasting revolution in preventive medicine.
Europe’s pressing need for transcultural competence
Patients with a migration background can create underestimated difficulties in healthcare systems in Western countries.
‘The perfect murder is one that isn’t actually discovered’
Austrian specialist: If the science is not used the impact on crime detection will be negative
RAPS and Eucomed provide common online training
The Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS), the largest global organization for regulatory professionals in the healthcare product sector, and Eucomed, the European medical technology industry association, have joined together to provide high-quality online regulatory training to professionals throughout Europe.
COCIR welcomes EU eHealth Action Plan 2012-2020
Rhe European Coordination Committee of the Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industry (COCIR) congratulates the European Commission on its new eHealth Action Plan, entitled ‘Innovative healthcare for the 21st century’ as it provides a comprehensive roadmap for smart and sustainable healthcare in Europe.
Instantaneous imaging, without the need for a computer
Olympus has released a new standalone controller for the 5 megapixel DP26 camera. Using the controller, it is possible to view samples and capture images directly on a monitor screen with no need for a dedicated computer.
Increase your reading efficiency with syngo.plaza
Syngo®.plaza is the agile PACS solution for the clinical routine. syngo.plaza helps speed up reading and knows when to call up 2D, 3D, or 4D applications.
Highlights from the visualization specialists at Medica 2012
Last November, Barco, the medical visualization experts, showcased numerous highlights at their booth at Medica 2012.
Siemens re-engineers radiography with flat emitter, new detector
In the highly competitive US market for interventional radiology, Siemens introduced a ground-breaking new imaging chain for the Artis line that sets a new standard for image quality.
Neue Immunverstärker-Plattform Defensomen
Die Pevion Biotech AG gab heute den Beginn eines neuen, Defensomen genannten Programms bekannt, einer Plattform für Breitband-Immunverstärkung mittels Mechanismen des angeborenen Immunsystems.
GE invests in technology to tackle challenges in healthcare
Times may be tough, but GE Healthcare takes a longer term view, believing innovative technologies can transform healthcare delivery and help improve patient care.
Toshiba boosts CT scanning to maximum performance
The new Aquilion ONE ViSION is the widest, fastest, thinnest-slice CT ever built, capable to pushing both anatomical and functional studies to new levels.
Carestream opens portal for patients to view images
No more CD or DVDs! MyVue Patient Portal empowers patients to securely access, manage and share their medical images and radiology reports with specialists and healthcare providers.
France: 61-year-old receives the first fully-biodegradable stent
A novel, entirely biodegradable device has been successfully implanted in a blocked artery patient needing a percutaneous coronary intervention
Medica + Compamed as a reflection of the market
The demand-side markets for medical technology and medicinal products are undergoing changes worldwide and the supply side is providing the right answers with its solutions for high-quality but also economic medical care.
Global FPD mobile C-arm X-ray to grow by 54 percent by 2016
With increasing awareness of X-ray dose and image quality, the market for mobile C-arm X-ray equipment has potential to transition to flat panel detector (FPD) technology.
China’s manufacturers are re-engineering their business
United Imaging is a young company: it was established in 2007 by two experienced R&D executives who came from leading Chinese medtech manufacturers.
’French twist’ in e-Health
It seems medical records are too serious to be left to patients. Across hundreds of European e-health projects, the heavy spending in health information technology goes to building an electronic health record (EHR) that can be shared among health professionals.
National interests hamper EU cross-border research
Germany hopes for better research conditions as revision of the EU Clinical Trials Directive is nigh
Acute hospital care in England could be on the verge of collapse
With growing bed shortages and increased demand on clinical services, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) says that the country’s National Health Service (NHS) is approaching the point where acute care cannot keep pace in its current form, Mark Nicholls reports
Carestream Health's presence at RSNA 2012
Carestream will demonstrate top of the edge technologie and launches digital breast tomosynthesis module for its Vue Mammo Workstation on booth 2636 in Chicago.
Laser-light test helps show whose cancer is spreading
Using advanced microscopes equipped with tissue-penetrating laser light, cancer imaging experts at Johns Hopkins have developed a promising, new way to accurately analyze the distinctive patterns of ultra-thin collagen fibers in breast tumor tissue samples and to help tell if the cancer has spread.
Dynamic technological change is transforming European CT markets
– The demand for multi-slice computed tomography (CT) systems will drive growth in the European CT market.
Defining Tomorrow’s Legislation on the Privacy
COCIR applauds the Commission’s courageous move to harmonise the EU’s legal framework on data protection
through the adoption of a EU Regulation, as proposed earlier this year. COCIR has today published its position paper on the proposal.
Global PACS, RIS & CVIS markets to exceed $4.5 billion by 2016
With decreasing budgets, healthcare providers are under increasing pressure to develop effective means of improving efficiency and reducing costs, whilst maintaining high levels of patient care.
Nobel Prize awarded to Robert Koch Foundation Laureate
The Robert Koch Foundation congratulates Professor Shinya Yamanaka, the 2008 Robert Koch Award laureate, on being awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The award to Yamanaka brings the number of Robert Koch Foundation laureates to receive a Nobel Prize to 11 since 1962.
Frost & Sullivan predicts growth for the infectious disease diagnostics market
The infectious disease diagnostics market is driven by unprecedented outbreaks of infections and rising awareness of people and policy makers towards the vital use of diagnostic tools to control widespread outbreaks.
Tangible Return on EU Investment in Global Health R&D
At the launch of the Policy Cures study ‘Saving Lives and Creating Impact: EU Investment in Poverty-Related and Neglected Diseases’ in Brussels today, DSW (Deutsche Stiftung Weltbevoelkerung) confirmed that EU funding for Global Health Research and Development (R&D) has a direct benefit on both developing countries and the European Union.
Philips and Biocompatibles team-up to advance in interventional oncology
Launch of collaboration marked with development of new treatment protocol for trans-arterial embolization in hypervascular tumors.
A new name and new focus
Medica Media has done a good job. For years, the section in the world’s largest international medical trade fair has provided a meeting place for representatives from medical care, research and manufacturing organisations.
Team unification and good timing to improve hospital processes
Hospitals are complex systems and optimising processes in such systems is a truly challenging task.
Gene therapy restores sense of smell in mice
A team of scientists from Johns Hopkins and other institutions report that restoring tiny, hair-like structures to defective cells in the olfactory system of mice is enough to restore a lost sense of smell.
The chronic lack of donor organs
4,500 scientists, transplant teams and related social groups from 94 countries gathered in Berlin for the International Congress of the Transplant Society.
Organ donation
Rumour had it for a while, and many found out when the bomb was finally dropped at, of all places, the Congress of the International Transplantation Society, held in Berlin this July – the waiting list for donor organs in the database of the Eurotransplant Foundation had been manipulated.
Toshiba presents advances in Cardiac Imaging at ESC 2012
Cardiology is playing an increasingly important role in today’s healthcare environment and, as a direct result, cardiologists are facing new challenges almost every day. Addressing the need of improving clinician confidence and diagnostic accuracy, Toshiba Medical Systems Europe presented two symposia on the first day of the European Congress of Cardiology, to be held in Munich, Germany, 25-28 August 2012.
MRI brings a new beat to rhythmology
More anatomy details, real-time visualisation of catheter movement, and reduced exposure – MRI has promising potential in rhythmology, explain Professor Matthias Gutberlet and PD Dr Christopher Piorkowski, at the Heart Centre, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany.
Teamwork works well in Hamburg
One heart – One Team, the motto for this year’s German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Congress emphasises that cardiac surgeons and cardiologists must now work more in tandem for their mutual patients. This is not just a short-lived three-day slogan, but a daily reality at the University Heart Centre Hamburg, as EH correspondent Holger Zorn reports
Acute myocardial infarction
Could bone marrow cells prolong life? Recruitment of 3,000 patients will begin across the EU later this year for the BAMI (Bone Marrow Cells in Acute Myocardial Infarction) study, which will test whether stem cells taken from bone marrow and administered after a heart attack will prolong life. Mark Nicholls reports
China to Account for One Fifth of Global Ultrasound Revenue by 2016
Following a period of vast investment in healthcare, the outlook for China’s ultrasound imaging equipment market remains very positive. A new report from InMedica, part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS).
Carestream Health Sponsors Industry Discussion On Cloud Computing in Italy
As part of the recent annual Heathcare Summit organised by Sole 24 ORE in Milan, Italy, Carestream Health sponsored a round table discussion on cloud computing. The Summit is an established event in Italy and is attended by Government and regional officials and companies contracted by the Italian Ministry of Health. Carestream is one of the world’s leading providers of cloud infrastructure, currently managing 2 Petabytes of data in 10 data centres across the world.
CT angiography best for low-risk patients
Incorporating coronary CT angiography (CCTA) into the initial evaluation of low-risk patients coming to hospital emergency departments (EDs) with chest pain appears to reduce the time patients spend in the hospital without incurring additional costs or exposing patients to significant risks. The report of a study conducted at nine U.S. hospitals appears in the New England Journal of Medicine.
MRSA cases doubled in five years
Infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) doubled at academic medical centers in the U.S. between 2003 and 2008, according to a report published in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Deadly 2011 E. coli Strain Decoded
The secret to the deadly 2011 E. coli outbreak in Germany has been decoded, thanks to research conducted at Michigan State University.
A heart for jellyfish
In a paper published in ”Nature Biotechnology” on the 22nd of July of 2012 Harvard researchers explain how making a jellyfish from rat DNA can help to solve cardiac problems.
The first human implantations of bioprosthetic artificial hearts
CARMAT, the designer and developer of the world’s most advanced project of total artificial heart, announces today that it has obtained the approval of four renowned international cardiac surgery centers in Belgium, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Slovenia to proceed with the first clinical implantations of its bioprosthetic total artificial heart.
►► WhitePapers
Clinical examples of CEUS
Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has become a routine ...
Joint IMPAX PACS for merged hospitals
Palmetto Health´s high quality care combined with free or ...
Portable chest radiography: Carestream improves companion-views
Carestream has implemented companion views in its digital ...
One third of German hospitals are in the red
Government grants €1.1 billion to help finance rising personnel costs and increase nurses specialists in infection prevention and control
Keywords
Health IT connects global as more nations integrate with 'IHE Inside'
Leaders from electronic health programs in 22 countries attended the first-ever IHE World Summit to take on the challenges of advancing patient care in the digital era.
Endoscopic Hemostat stems bleeding
A few years ago the American forces succeeded in dramatically lowering the mortality of soldiers from gunshot wounds with the help of a new, haemostatic powder. These silicate crystals, which attach to a wound, not only stem external bleeding but also internal bleeding resulting from stomach or duodenal ulcers, tumours or rare types of vascular deformities.
Anaesthesiology
A UK study has highlighted the issue of patients waking up from a general anaesthetic while undergoing surgery. The research, which questioned more than 7,100 consultant anaesthetists, revealed that there was about one episode of accidental awareness in every 15,000 general anaesthetics cases in the three million UK operations in 2011.
Successful start
TRUMPF’s youngest child exceeds all expectations. Since November 2012, the active assistance system ViKY has been a new member in the TRUMPF product portfolio. As many as 36 orders from Europe and the Middle East has the medical technology company received so far - five of them from Turkish hospitals solely.
A sharper image with combined PET/MR technology
The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is sending a promising duo into the race against cancer: A new PET/MR system that can combine high-resolution images with functional information to improve cancer diagnosis.
New report informs Europe’s policymakers on diagnosis and management of CDI
Urgent action is needed to improve the diagnosis and management of CDI, which is the main cause of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) diarrhoea in industrialised countries. In a report launched today, during a meeting hosted by the European Healthcare and Hospital Federation (HOPE), experts from across Europe highlight the current deficiencies in the management of CDI and outline the steps that are needed to address them.
Breast tomosynthesis helps small radiology center compete and grow
Dr. Paula Martínez Miravete didn’t set out to change breast imaging in Spain when she first adopted breast tomosynthesis.
Survival of SAPIEN high-risk patients equivalent to surgery
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, the global leader in the science of heart valves and hemodynamic monitoring, announced the three-year results of a pivotal clinical study of severe aortic stenosis patients at high-risk for surgery.
Integrating cardiovascular imaging modalities revolutionises care
How the different advanced cardio vascular imaging technologies fit together in managing cardiac patients, will be one of the main themes explored at the International Conference on Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT (ICNC 11).
Robust Future for European health information exchange market
Vendors exhibiting strong leadership and understanding of interoperability standards to make gains
Epigenetic drugs
‘All human body cells contain the same DNA, but every type of cell – for example a muscle cell compared to that of a nerve – has a different gene expression pattern’, said Dr Sonja Stadler, speaking at the 2012 congress of DGKL (German Society for Clinical Chemistry).
Russian cancer research team gains international funding
The international research project ‘The Definition of new types of tumours containing potential mutations sensitivity to drugs’ has begun in Petrov Research Institute of Oncology in St Petersburg, the oldest Russian oncology institute.
The 33rd International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine
Belgium – Last year, the annual ISICEM event attracted almost 6,000 participants from 101 countries. Its chairman, Professor Jean-Louis Vincent, from the Intensive Care Medicine Department in Erasme University Hospital, Brussels, offered EH a few reasons for its continuing success.
Patient data transfer and healthcare policy-making
Now central to most medical and policy-making discussions, cross-border healthcare, telemedicine and e-health are a top priority on the EU’s healthcare agenda, and most Member States are working to develop viable systems in this field
Display innovations at ECR include 6 MP
Here comes a new, aesthetic look and feel of display systems, advanced LED technology, and cranked up luminance enhancing image quality: imaging specialists from Barco are taking their displays to the 21st century.
'Invest in the youth' is a great opportunity
Cyprian Olchowy, a young Polish radiologist in training, reports his impressions and experiences of ECR 2013.
MRI holds a key role in cervical cancer
Modern imaging techniques greatly enhance the treatment selection
The importance of MRI for gynaecological malignancies
Hedvig Hricak, Chair of the Radiology Department at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA, describes emerging applications and potential trends in gynaecological cancer treatment described at the 15th International Symposium Crossing Barriers
Innovate, or go out of business
Management in Radiology (MIR): this ESR subcommittee is dedicated to management topics, developments in eHealth, and major trends in the discipline.
Perfusion imaging: The future of CT?
CT scanners now nicely cover morphology. The challenge is moving to CT functional imaging without frying patients
UK hospital pioneers ‘direct to CT scans’ for A&E patients
A UK hospital is assessing trauma patients by taking them directly for CT scans rather than to the A&E department. Piloted at King’s College Hospital, this new approach to assessing patients with life-threatening injuries aims to speed up diagnosis by conducting CT simultaneously with patient resuscitation and stabilisation.
Personalized therapy concepts maximize clinical benefit
For the 19th consecutive year the annual meeting of the European Society of Radiology (ESR), the European Congress of Radiology (ECR), takes place in Vienna.
To survive radiologists must become visible and valued
Radiologists work in dark, strange places often hidden in the basement of hospitals. Few doctors or medical staff visit these labyrinths, and for good reason.
Enthused crowds gather for formal opening of ECR
The Opening Ceremony on Thursday evening, enhanced by music from Spain, drew an enormous crowd.
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the main cause of accidental death in Europe and all highly developed countries, accounting for around 40% of all accidental mortality.
Germany’s White List
A large survey for leading German health insurers has resulted in a hospital evaluation portal thatenables patients to compare and choose a doctor and treatment or care centre very quickly
Implantable cardiac devices
Patients with cardiac implantable electric devices (CIED) need ongoing and lifelong follow-ups. Due to the growing number of CIEDs, the demand for follow-up visits is increasing rapidly and already pushing clinics to maximum capacities.
Public debate in European Parliament on future medical device legislation
Eucomed, the European medical technology industry association, welcomes stakeholder calls at a public hearing of the European Parliament’s Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) Committee on 26 February, for much needed improvements to Europe’s regulatory system for medical devices.
France: Transplant surgeons perform outstanding feats
Simultaneous surgical successes open new perspectives for multiple transplants
Adoption of HIV nucleic acid testing and automation to spur market growth
Over 32% of HIV+ people in Europe remain undiagnosed. This large untapped pool and the development of novel nucleic acid test (NAT) and non-NAT technology based platforms offers growth potential for HIV diagnostics manufacturers.
Lady Gaga raises the profile of hip arthroscopy
Surgical Innovations Clinical Advisory Board member and Harrogate hip surgeon Mr Jon Conroy has today commented on how Lady Gaga’s imminent surgery will help raise the worldwide profile of pioneering minimally invasive hip surgery.
Swedish university invests in virtual medical technology
In its bid to offer the most modern medicine program in Sweden, Örebro University has invested in three visualization tables from Sectra.
Jordan struggles to serve refugee population
A high unemployment rate coupled with an influx of refugees from Iraq and Syria has compounded challenges faced by the Jordanian government to provide healthcare for all, states a new report by healthcare experts GlobalData.
High volume mammo centres yield high quality research
With 350,000 mammography screenings annually, Unilabs Sweden finds itself on the leading edge for research in mammography and pioneering patient education programmes. John Brosky reports
Researchers pioneer treatment for viral infection
Researchers at Imperial College London have discovered a new way in which a very common childhood disease could be treated.
Simpler risk scoring
Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) supports physicians in vital treatment decisions.
Essential role of personal data in healthcare
The Healthcare Coalition on Data Protection
published a joint statement highlighting the role of personal data in delivering high quality,
patient-centred healthcare and conducting effective clinical and public health research, while expressing concerns on the potential negative impact of the proposed EU General Data Protection Regulation in these areas.
Trumpf distrubtes ViKY in the Middle East
Robotics and systems providing assistance during procedures harbor great potential for medical use.
Sepsis diagnosis and treatment
‘We need an ECG for Sepsis,’ urged Professor Konrad Reinhart during this year’s Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (HAI) Congress in Berlin.
The curious (and sad) tale of abandoned plans and dismantled hopes
A prototype for proton and ion therapy has been used clinically in Heidelberg since 2009. Built jointly by Siemens and GSI (Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research) in Darmstadt.
Liver transplants hit record levels
A record number of liver transplants have been carried out by the Birmingham Liver Teams at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
BVMed asks for immediate action
The German Medical Technology Association BVMed is asking the European Commission, the Council and the Parliament to take immediate action in bringing forward appropriate measures to improve the designation and surveillance of notified bodies and market surveillance of medical devices.
Advancing personalised medicine
BRAF is a protein that plays an important part in the transmission of growth signals. In a mutated state it can lead to uncontrolled cell growth. Around every second malignant melanoma – the deadliest and most aggressive form of skin cancer – has a certain mutation of the BRAF gene.
Strengthening collaborations in systems biology
French and German experts hear of a possible new computer-based system to identify new biomarkers for colon cancer.
The Hospital Twitter
Healthcare IT expert Dr Dieter Kramps, who focuses on safe IT, cloud, and mobile solutions in the sector, discusses social media in hospitals with Michael Reiter
Emergency healthcare in Spain
People prefer to seek medical help in public rather than private hospital
Premiere for a new high content imaging system
TTP Labtech has announced the release of the acumen hci (high content imaging) system, developed for researchers who are looking to increase the productivity of their high throughput imaging.
Birmingham hospital leads the way on hourly nursing rounds
Patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham are already seeing the benefits of hourly nurse rounds, which are expected to be rolled out nationwide, under plans announced by the Government on January, 4. to improve standards of care.
A link between adult neurogenesis and memory recovery
The brain of mammals produces new neurons for the whole of their lives. This process, called neurogenesis, enables cognitive functions such as memory or learning, and its decrease is linked to some neuro-psychiatric pathologies and intellectual disabilities.
Breakthrough with new interventional treatment technology
Preliminary data from the clinical study showed that the dose reduction achieved in the X-ray guided endovascular procedures performed on 50 patients using Philips’ ClarityIQ technology is in line with the expected X-ray dose reduction of 75%.
Agreement to introduce high standard of care to Bulgarian patients
Royal Philips Electronics today announced the signing of an agreement with City Hospitals & Clinics, a Bulgarian healthcare group, to equip their new hospital in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Esaote brings full ultrasound power to portable system
Rapid and accurate diagnosis using ultrasound has won increasing use by physicians and radiologists. The new MyLab Alpha delivers high-end performance in an easy-to-use, highly mobile system.
European Parliament committee for continuing patient access to MRI
The Alliance for MRI welcomed action by a European Parliament committee on Thursday that guarantees continued patient access to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), a critical tool for detecting and treating disease.
Philips advancing CT beyond Imaging 2.0 with IMR
A pioneer in lowering patient exposure to radiation, Philips Healthcare opened a new path to further the clinical potentials for CT imaging introducing Iterative Model Reconstruction (IMR) at RSNA 2012.
Promise for controlling'blood-brain barrier'
Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have shed light on the activity of a protein pair found in cells that form the walls of blood vessels in the brain and retina, experiments that could lead to therapeutic control of the blood-brain barrier and of blood vessel growth in the eye.
Agfa Healthcare ICIS offers plug-and-play EMR solution
America faces an enormous task as it begins to create the electronic medical records (EMRs) required by Obama-care. Agfa Healthcare is ready to help with ICIS, the first fully-integrated IT package hospitals can plug into existing information systems.
Sectra DoseTrack offers proven solution to reduce patient radiation exposure
The number of radiology examinations is not only increasing, they are becoming more complex driving up the exposure of patients to radiation. At RSNA 2012 Sectra introduced a well-tested solution for drive down dose.
MRI powerhouse breaks new ground in medical research
At RSNA 2012, Siemens is launching its new MRI addressing academic research centres and university hospitals. According to Bernd Ohnesorge, the Magnetom Prisma 3.0 T enforces the company’s major commitment to advancing research, bearing testimony to Siemens’ innovation leadership in the field. In Chicago, the CEO of the Siemens MRI business unit presented the 3 T system for which the company will apply for FDA and CE approval and has a planned European availability in the second half of 2013.
Diagnosing from a distance
An echocardiography system that conveniently slips into a coat pocket, this kind of miniature device is now commercially available. Portable ultrasound has been around for about a decade, but until recently the machines were about the size of a laptop rather than that of a smart-phone
Tonio Borg appointed as commissioner for health and consumer affairs
On Wednesday, 21 November, the Members of the European Parliament voted in favour of Commissioner-designate Tonio Borg following a period of extensive investigation.
Smartphones and high-tech laboratories to reveal health effects
New technologies for sensing chemicals that people are exposed to and their effects in the body will help scientists work towards a complete picture of how environmental pollutants influence health in a major EU initiative being launched yesterday.
European certification for medical products
The recent scandal around faulty breast implants from France started it, first the talk about the entire medical devices industry, and then progression towards the monitoring and licensing of products.
Unrivalled performance in fluorescence slide scanning
Olympus VS120 virtual slide scanning system earns three awards at the prestigious second International Scanner Contest.
Physicians fail to disclose conflicts of interest on social media
As the use of Twitter and other social media by physicians and patients rises, more and more physicians seem to forget to do what many consider crucial for building doctor-patient trust: disclose potential conflicts of interest.
In the future, IT will be seen as an integral part of medical technology
For many years, MEDICA, the world’s largest medical trade fair, has devoted a special section to healthcare information technology. In an EH interview, Horst Giesen, Project Director of MEDICA, COMPAMED and REHACARE, spoke of the valuable insight into current medical IT that is offered to exhibition visitors
The needs of European hospitals are similar
Procedures, financing and cultural philosophies can shape the difference, Michael Reiter, Mark Nicholls, Eduardo de la Sota, Jane MacDougall report
Does Germany top Europe in unnecessary diagnostics
Statistics show significant increase in scans and left heart catheterisations, Susanne Werner reports
Health issues go electronic at the International Biology Days in Paris
The JIB Journées Internationales de Biologie (held in Paris from Nov 7 to 9) is the event of the year for lab-biologists across France.
Radiologists all over the world celebrate the International Day of Radiology
The first International Day of Radiology (IDoR) will be celebrated on November 8, as participating societies from all over the world will host a series of events to highlight the role played by radiology in modern medicine and help raise the public profile of the radiologist.
First patient-centered proton treatment room
IBA Group, a leader in advanced cancer diagnosis and therapy technologies, and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) today announced their first-ever installation of a state-of-the-art, patient-centered proton therapy treatment room in the United States.
Key Trends in Imaging and IT in/from China
Improving access to care still is a key goal of the Chinese national government.
Alliance of European medical technology industry associations launched
MedTech Europe, the alliance of European medical technology industry associations, is launched today at the European MedTech Forum in Brussels.
Mobile technologies potential in the field of public health
Over the last few decades healthcare costs have been skyrocketing, something often discussed on this blog as it has become a considerable problem for many different countries.
Zeiss, Philips and Samsung Ventures head key speaker roster at Invest in Photonics 2012
Global brands increase market-focus for photonics event and help investors to better spot potential investments in hardware.
Curetis and Heraeus Medical collaborate
Curetis AG and Heraeus Medical GmbH have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly develop a novel Unyvero™ cartridge for the detection of pathogens and antibiotic resistances in implant & tissue infections (ITI).
Surgeons demand the best. Sony delivers it.
For a surgeon to perform at their peak, they need the highest quality equipment. For this reason, Sony developed the PVM-2551MD 24.5” monitor.
Crisis as an opportunity
Rarely have the topics at the EHFG been so relevant to the current international economic crisis – reason enough for EH correspondent Christian Pruszinsky to interview the Forum’s founder and outgoing President Professor Günther Leiner.
China Medical Service Industry Development Summit 2012
Demand for health services in China is on the surge, and democracy pre-empts an upward trajectory.
CT contrast agent injector and CT scanners communicate
The CT motion CT contrast agent injector from ulrich medical and Siemens CT scanners can now synchronise scans and contrast agent injections thanks to a new interface.
The Spanish Model
The worldwide scarcity of organ donations inevitably draws attention to the so-called Spanish model.
Hospital Pharmacists will meet in Paris
The European Association of Hospital Pharmacists (EAHP) announced that online registration for its annual congress to take place next year from 13-15 March 2013 in Palais des Congrès, Paris, France is open. This congress’ theme is “Improving patient outcomes – a shared responsibility”.
Fame 2 rates FFR as a new gold standard
John Brosky reports on a ground-breaking trial and how CT-FFR may change the practice of invasive cardiology and cardiac surgery.
Advances in mitral valve replacement
Initially limited to the aortic valve, interventions are becoming routine for the mitral valve. Thus the only available product has enjoyed huge commercial success – until now. Report: Holger Zorn
Unnerved by denervation
Cardiologists are increasingly concerned about patients with persistent hypertension demanding a new technique, in the absence of clinical proof of its long-term benefit. As more related devices are launched, John Brosky reports on the procedure, drawbacks, and a potential €2 billion market.
Knowing the Enemy
Modern wars will be fought in the cyber zone, targeting an enemy's communications technology to cause critical damage; a Tel Aviv University researcher suggests to employ similar tactics in the battle against cancer.
Gene Therapy in the EU
For the first time, a EU agency recommends a gene therapy drug for commercial release in Europe. The European Medicine's Agency announced in late July 2012 that its Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommends Glybera for commercial release in the European Union
New National Screening Program for Men in Scotland
NHSScotland has selected the international IT services company Atos, in partnership with IMAGE Information Systems, to support the roll-out of a new national screening program’s IT system for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA). Currently, there is no existing vascular screening system worldwide.
Diagnostic tests followed by personalized medicine
A new genre of medical tests - which determine whether a medicine is right for a patient's genes - are paving the way for increased use of personalized medicine, according to the cover story in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News. C&EN is the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.
Hard facts on European drug use
Surveys of drug use form an important basis for the development of effective drug policies, and also for measuring the effectiveness of existing policies. For the first time in history, scientists have now made direct comparisons of illicit drug use in 19 European cities by a cooperative analysis of raw sewage samples.
Girl builds artificial ‘brain’ to detect breast cancer
An artificial “brain” built by a 17-year-old whiz kid from Florida is able to accurately assess tissue samples for signs of breast cancer, providing more confidence to a minimally invasive procedure. The cloud-based neural network took top prize in this year’s Google Science Fair.
ECR 2013: Cardiac imaging is picking up speed
They examine the structure of the heart muscle with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or evaluate the status of the coronary vessels with computed tomography (CT): radiologists increasingly use imaging methods to prevent or to assess cardiac diseases.
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